Torres Bellesguard. The Bellesguard house by Antoni Gaudi in the Sarrià-Sant Gervasi district of Barcelona. Torre Bellesguard is one of the most fascinating and one of the least known of Gaudí’s works in Barcelona. It is a semi-modernist, semi-gothic castle inspired by the medieval castle of Martin I, also known as Martin the Humane. Martin was King of Aragon, Count of Barcelona and the last ruler of the The House of Barcelona dynasty. He spent the final years of his life at Bellesguard until his death in 1410. I lived out the final years of his life at Bellesguard. The remains of his medieval castle can still be seen in the gardens of the house. It was also the place where one of Catalonia’s most famous bandits, Serrallonga, and also played an important role in the historic events of Barcelona in 1714. The building takes its name from its strategic position on a hillside and the magnificent views – in the Catalan language “Bellesguard” means “beautiful views” or “good viewing point”.

The current Bellesguard house was was designed by Antoni Gaudí and built between 1900 and 1909. The Guilera family have privately owned the Bellesguard house for more than 70 years. For most of that time the house was not open to the general public, but now the Guilera family have generously decided to open their doors to the public with guided tours and evening concerts in the gardens in the summer. The regular guided tours are in Catalan, Spanish, English languages and cover the medieval walls, the gardens and the exterior of the house, as well as the most interesting parts of the interior. For other languages group bookings of 12 - 15 people are required in advance.

The Bellesguard house is one of only a few of Gaudí's works to be lived in by its owners and this, along with the layout of the house itself - the staircases get narrower and narrower as you climb to the upper floors - means that only 15 people can visit the interior of the house, the patios and attic at any one time. Tours are always accompanied by a guide and only people who can managed many steps can join the tour. Advance tickets booking is essential. > Book tickets to see Torre Bellesgaurd here

Concert Gaudi Nights - at Torre BellesgaurdFor the summer of 2014 Torre Bellesguard hosts a series of open air concerts in the tower gardens called "Gaudi Nights" at 7.30pm from Wednesday to Saturday until the 13th of September. The Gaudi Nights ticket includes a short exterior guided visit to the tower, a glass of cava and concerts in a different musical styles, depending on the night. Tickets are 19 euros